Balance and Control
by lilapril77
Summary: When Eliot gets involved with Hardison's foster sister, and Nate gets her involved in one of the team's cons, it's going to be a challenge to maintain his balance and control on the job, and off. Eliot/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is set sometime during the first half of the second season, but in the summer. I guess you could say it's slightly AU, since I'll be twisting the timeline and some details to suit the story. First chapter's always the hardest to write, so thank you for reading and please let me know what you think.

* * *

In the middle of July, Nate came to the team with a multi-week job in Saratoga Springs. A shady new operator had taken over a spa attached to one of the mineral springs and had been promising remarkable cures and health benefits. Eliot had balked at first, saying that it sounded like a simple advertising problem. But then Nate had explained how the operator was preying on parents whose kids were dying of cancer, bilking them for tens of thousands of dollars.

Eliot had backed off and even Parker had stopped fidgeting and agreed to stick with the job the duration. The guy was into gambling and Nate thought that between the racetrack and back-room poker games, they could drive the guy out of business within weeks.

So they'd gone to Saratoga Springs, and set up shop in a nondescript office building near their hotel. Nate thought that it would take a week or so of tailing the guy to figure out his patterns and find a way to hook him, then they'd get to the real work. The racing season had started just days earlier.

"So, you guys, my sister's working at the track and she invited me to visit her tomorrow, if any of y'all are interested," said Hardison as they were leaving their make-shift office for the night.

"Your sister?" asked Eliot skeptically.

"Yeah, she said we could stop by in the late morning, get a tour of the place, and then stay for the races."

"And it just occurred to you now to mention that you have a sister who works at the race track. You didn't think maybe that information could've helped with planning this job?" asked Nate, annoyed.

"Calm down," replied Hardison, holding up a hand. "I didn't know until today. I swear."

Parker shook her head. "No way, I don't like horses. You know I don't like horses."

"See, now you say that, and what I hear is 'I don't want to meet your sister,'" replied Hardison, giving her the hurt puppy dog eyes.

"Well we'd love to meet your sister, wouldn't we, Nate," said Sophie with a smile.

"I suppose we could wait one more day before starting the job in earnest," said Nate as he reluctantly nodded his agreement. "And if the mark is there, we might even be able to get in an afternoon of work."

* * *

The next morning, the security guard at the track waved them in after Hardison handed him a special pass. They walked along the empty paths over toward the carousel, which was the appointed meeting place.

The minutes ticked by as Parker tried to give excuses for why she had to leave that minute, before a murderous horse went on a rampage.

"Your sister usually late?" asked Eliot.

"Well, give her a chance. She's working, you know," replied Hardison. He pulled out his cell phone. "Give me a minute. I'll see if I can get ahold of her."

He frowned at his phone, then started to wander around, looking for better reception as he muttered under his breath. He was about thirty feet away when a small woman jumped up on his back with enough force to double him over.

"Alley Cat!" she yelled. She was wearing riding boots, tan riding pants, an orange t-shirt, a riding helmet, and what looked like a bullet-proof vest.

"Mighty Mouse," shouted Hardison with a grin. She laughed and dug her heels into his sides, causing him to shriek with the most un-manly sounding laughter.

"I think I like this girl," said Eliot.

"Why is she wearing a bullet-proof vest?" asked Parker, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's not. It's just foam padding, in case she falls off. That's all," said Eliot. "I'm going to tell you one more time: horses aren't murderous."

Hardison managed to swing the girl around and then ease her to the ground. It was laughable how much taller he was than her. She took her helmet off, slightly-damp, curly red hair falling to her shoulders.

Hardison was far enough away that they couldn't overhear his conversation. But his wide grin was nearly blinding and it was clear that the two shared a close bond.

"Um, how is she possibly his sister? She's white. Like white-white. Like burn from candlelight white," said Parker as she openly stared from Alec to the girl.

"I imagine she's actually a foster sister or something," said Nate, leaning in to discretely deliver this information.

"I don't believe it. That's Kayleigh Connor," said Eliot after he got a good look at the girl.

"Oh god, Eliot, you haven't dated Hardison's sister, have you?" asked Sophie.

"What? No. She's a jockey, kind of famous, if you follow horseracing at all."

"Which I don't because-" began Parker.

"Parker, don't even say it," said Eliot, cutting her off.

"Hey, guys, I want you to meet my sister, Kay," said Hardison as he walked over with his arm around her shoulders.

Sophie was the first to step forward and shake her hand graciously, murmuring all of the right social niceties, with Nate right behind her. Parker hung back and copped out with a wave, not trusting anyone who trusted horses.

It took Eliot a minute to find his voice. "Kayleigh Connor. This is really an honor. I'm a huge fan."

Kayleigh looked up at Hardison, then back at Eliot with disbelief. "Did he put you up to this?"

"No, ma'am. I saw you get #55 a few years back, at Keeneland. Admiral Daydreamer. To come from six lengths back to win by two - that was quite a ride. Great way to end your apprenticeship," said Eliot, subtly showing off his knowledge of horse racing in general and her career in particular.

She smiled, surprised. "You must've won a bundle off it."

He shook his head. "Nah, it wasn't anything like that. It really was quite a race. The textbook example of how to ride a closer."

"What's wrong with Eliot? Is he sick?" asked Parker as Sophie tried to shush her.

"Yeah, what is wrong with Eliot?" asked Hardison, suspiciously.

"Nothing. I just appreciate talent and your sister has it in spades."

"That's kind of you to say. Would you guys like a tour, or what?" asked Kayleigh. "I've got about an hour before I have to start getting ready for this afternoon's races."

"I don't," said Parker quickly. "I think I'll take a nap, out in the van. If that's okay with everyone? Okay, good."

She didn't even wait for a response, she just left.

"Don't mind her. She's afraid of horses," explained Hardison. "Also, she's Parker. She's just weird."

"Great. Well, then let's go. Oh, wait. Sophie, right? Do you have any other shoes? If we're going to go on the back stretch, you definitely don't want to be wearing open-toed high-heels."

Sophie looked disoriented for a moment before graciously recovering. "Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a raincheck then."

"You know what, you guys go ahead. Sophie and I have some planning to do anyway," said Nate, waving them on their way.

"So, that leaves you two. Still want a tour?" asked Kayleigh.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," said Eliot with a warm flirty smile that caused Hardison to give him a kick once Kayleigh's back was turned.

"You are _not_ flirting with my sister," hissed Hardison, walking slowly to put some space between them and Kay.

"Relax. I'm just being friendly."

"Uh-huh. I've seen your idea of friendly before. I don't like it," said Hardison, working hard to be a threateningly protective older brother. Eliot rolled his eyes and brushed it off. Really, he was just being friendly.

* * *

After taking them around the backstretch and through a few of the barns, Kayleigh brought them back to the grandstand. She let them know the horses she'd be riding during the day and then waved good-bye, promising to catch up with them after the last race.

"For real?" asked Hardison when she was out of earshot.

"What?"

"My sister?"

"She's _like_ your sister. She's not actually your sister, is she?"

"Look, I was 12, she was 6 when Nana took her in. _Like_ my sister. _Is_ my sister. Same thing, according to Nana."

Eliot knew better than to give Hardison grief over Nana. He shrugged. "She's a cute girl and she's great at her job. I can respect that. I know how hard this sport is."

"Okay, that's fine. We're cool then. I guess," said Hardison grudgingly.

"Good, so you don't mind if I ask her out?"

Hardison rolled his eyes, and enunciated each word clearly. "I. Did. Not. Say. That."

"Good. Glad you don't mind," said Eliot, slapping Hardison on the back before walking away, leaving him to mutter to himself about why there always had to be a difference between what he said and what Eliot heard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the time between episodes.

* * *

After the tour, Eliot and Hardison caught up with Nate, who told them that he was considering making adjustments to their plans. He'd already sent Parker out for a little surveillance work and Sophie was making some arrangements.

"What kind of adjustments?" asked Eliot, eying Nate uneasily. He didn't like when the plans changed, especially when they seemed to spontaneously change for no reason at all.

"Just....adjustments. Nothing for you to worry about. I want you guys to stay here today. Both of you keep an eye out for our guy, but Hardison, you hang back. Eliot, don't go seeking him out, but if you happen to be in the same place with him, some friendly conversation would be just fine. Got it?"

Both men nodded. "Good. Meet back at the office after the racing and I'll go over the new plans," said Nate before he walked away.

Hardison and Eliot got some lunch and then settled in for the races. Kayleigh was riding in the second, fourth, seventh, and ninth races of the day. She did poorly in the second and fourth, but then placed in the seventh race. Hardison and Eliot hung out near the entrance to the clubhouse to congratulate her.

"Second place is just first loser," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Why you gotta be that way?" asked Hardison. "Nana would be very disappointed in you."

"How you feeling about the ninth? Signal Fire had a couple of good starts at Santa Anita in the last few months," said Eliot.

"How do you know this stuff?" asked Hardison.

Kay just smiled. "I feel good. Worked him out two days ago and his legs are fresh. He's made for anything over a mile, so I like his chances over eleven."

"Eleven what? Miles?" asked Hardison.

"Furlongs, you idiot," replied Eliot.

"Alec never did get racing. But," she emphasized, with a smile, "he always got that it was important to me. I'll see you guys after the race."

Eliot watched her walk away.

"Hey, you want to do our job or you want to watch my sister?"

"What?"

"Our guy just arrived," said Hardison, handing Eliot an earbud. "I'm gonna make myself scarce. You want to follow him, do what Nate said?"

_Not really_, Eliot wanted to say. But he would. The job came first, after all. He'd always been that way, but having a team depending on him made the impulse a thousand times stronger.

When he looked up, Hardison was gone and the mark was headed for the grandstand. Eliot followed him into the bar and took up a seat at the opposite end. He watched the guy pull out a horse-racing newspaper and the program of the day's races.

They stayed in the bar through the eighth race, then the guy was on the move, headed out to the paddock where they were getting the horses for the next race ready. Knowing that's where the guy had to be going, Eliot walked faster and got there first, hoping that the mark ended up standing next to him.

He spotted Kayleigh coming out of the clubhouse, saddle under her arm. She stopped at the scale outside the paddock for the official weigh-in and then headed over toward stall two, where Signal Fire was waiting. He was a tall, muscular, black horse with a white blaze.

Eliot registered that the mark was standing next to him, looking up from his paper to the horses, comparing and thinking. He stole a peak over the guy's shoulder and could see he was trying to choose between Signal Fire and Lady of the Lilies.

Kayleigh spotted Eliot at that moment and gave him a little wave, which he returned. The mark noticed and looked at Eliot with curiosity.

"You know her?" the guy asked.

Eliot shrugged. "You know, a little. We got mutual friends."

"Yeah? How d'you like her chances then?"

"I'm betting on her. Horse got a good workout the other day and his legs are fresh. Closest competition would be Lady, who's never run over a mile before, and Summer Riches, who just raced four days ago."

The guy nodded and then went back to appraising the horses. The jockeys were all up on their mounts now and the post parade had started with a lap around the paddock.

Eliot smiled at Kayleigh when she passed, but he didn't think she'd seen him. She was focused on keeping the horse under control. Signal Fire was skipping underneath her, like all of his energy could just barely be contained in his body.

"Damn," said Eliot in a low voice. "That is one hot horse."

He ignored Hardison's retort in his ear. ("_Now see, that's just sick._") He'd explain later that calling a horse hot didn't mean what Hardison thought it meant.

The mark laughed. "He's just bursting to get out to the track, isn't he? Okay, my mind's definitely made up."

Eliot followed the guy to the betting window and watched as he bet $1000 on Signal Fire to win. Eliot placed his own bet, just five dollars, in case the guy was watching. Eliot knew the 8-1 odds meant that if Signal Fire won, the mark would be taking home close to $10,000.

The mark headed out to the rail to watch the race. Eliot slipped into the grandstand and found Hardison, taking a seat next to him.

"Guy just dropped a grand on Signal Fire to win."

"Seriously? Damn. Nate's right. Gambling is definitely the way in with this guy."

The horses were loading into the starting gate and Hardison looked away.

"What's wrong?"

"I hate this part. Watching her get crammed into that little space with a jumpy horse. This is why I hardly ever watch her race."

"It's okay, Hardison. She knows what she's doing." Eliot didn't add that if he really wanted to worry, he should worry about the fact that in a few seconds, his sister would be hurtling along at around 40 miles per hour on the back of a thousand pound horse, at the mercy of the laws of physics and just plain dumb luck.

The last horse loaded into the gate and a few seconds later, the bell rang and the horses charged out onto the track. Signal Fire stumbled a bit on the way out, but recovered. Kayleigh kept him on the rail, but was clearly holding him back. He wasn't dead last, but he was close.

Eleven furlongs is a long race, and Eliot wished he had binoculars to see the far side of the track as the horses circled around. He could see that she'd loosen up a little bit and was letting Signal Fire creep up toward the front, moving him deftly along the rail. The horses came around the the final turn toward home and she took the corner aggressively, using it to make up even more ground as the pack swung wide.

Into the final stretch, only one horse was left in front of her, Summer Riches. Kayleigh was urging her horse on with her crop and had loosened the reins entirely. It was all up to the horse now, his long legs covering the ground in perfect strides. They pulled even with Summer Riches and then seemed to float past him as the he just ran out of gas. Signal Fire passed under the wire a full three lengths in front of Summer Riches.

"So, our man is rich now, huh?" asked Hardison.

"I don't know about that. But yes, he's cleaning up on this one."

Hardison and Eliot headed over to the area where Kayleigh would have to pass to get back to the clubhouse. She was late coming out, since she had to pose for pictures with the owner, but finally, they spotted her, pulling off her helmet and taking off her gloves as she walked.

"Way to go, Mouse," said Hardison appreciatively, grabbing her for a celebratory hug that turned into him spinning around with her.

"Thanks, Alley. Tell me, you keep your eyes open for the whole race?"

"You _know_ I don't like the gate," he grumbled as he put her down.

"Congratulations, that was a great run," said Eliot.

She smiled at him. "Thanks... I've got some things to do around here, but I can meet y'all later."

"Oh, we have to go work. But you know, we'll be here for a few weeks at least. Plenty of time to catch up," said Hardison.

She nodded and waved good-bye as she walked away.

* * *

Back at the office, Nate had pizza and beer waiting for them. The briefing was more low-tech than they would've had in Boston, but everyone listened attentively.

"So, we sent Parker into the spa for a little recon this afternoon," began Nate. "Parker, you want to tell us what you found out?"

"Our guy, Henry, is an ass. HIs wife hates him, all they do is fight, and it seems like even if they're ripping people off, they still have a big ole pile of money problems."

"Well, he won nearly 10 grand this afternoon," said Eliot.

"How much did he bet to win that?" asked Nate.

"A thousand."

Nate gave a low, appreciative whistle. "Bets big, plays hard. This is going to make him easier to take down, eventually. Here's the plan:

"Eliot and Sophie, you're going to be a married couple, here for the racing season. Sophie rented a house for you both this afternoon - you'll be moving in there tonight. Eliot, you work in finance and have a gambling problem. Your marriage is on the rocks because of it.

"Sophie, you befriend the wife, Eliot, you get close to Henry, and then we'll start moving him towards the high-stakes gambling with us. With me so far?"

"Yeah, only why do I have to be married to Sophie?"

"Excuse me? What's wrong with being married to me?" asked Sophie in a huff.

"Nothing," said Eliot, shooting a look to silence her. "It's just that, Nate, you usually work with Sophie in that.... capacity."

"Yes, well, I need to be the loan shark/bookmaker. The mark's already seen you, so you're going to be the one who builds trust and delivers him to me, okay?"

Eliot nodded. The briefing lasted for another half-hour as Nate went over the possible plans and other roles that might come up over the course of the con. When it was over, Nate offered to drive Sophie and Eliot over to the hotel so they could collect their things.

In the car, Nate glanced at Eliot in the rearview mirror and put on his casual voice. "Eliot, you know this is a small town, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," replied Eliot. What did it matter what size town they were in?

"So for this con to work, you need to be married to Sophie."

"Yeah..." Eliot's voice revealed a bit more annoyance as he waited for Nate to just say whatever it was he wanted to say.

"So I'm just saying, you need to be careful what you do in public especially when you're not with Sophie."

"I'm not an idiot, Nate." No mistaking the annoyance now.

"I think what Nate is trying to say," said Sophie, trying yet again to clean up one of his messes, "is that you're free to do as you please, but you should probably do it either not in public or not in Saratoga."

"Message received, loud and clear." The annoyance had eased off now to minor bitterness. Eliot looked out the window, pointedly ignoring Nate for the rest of the drive. At the hotel, he collected his things and then waited for Sophie in what was going to be their car for the next few weeks, a sporty red Audi TT Roadster.

Eliot was drumming his fingers on the wheel impatiently when Sophie finally got into the car.

"Don't mind Nate," she said. "He's just concerned about this one. You know it's always harder when we're outside our comfort zone."

"Yeah, I guess."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, broken only by Sophie providing directions to "their" house, which ended up being an upscale cabin on a lake.

"You know, you're under no obligation to hang out with me tonight. You seem like you'd want to spend some time out alone," said Sophie as she got out of the car. Eliot gave her grateful smile and put the car in reverse. He did want to spend some time out, but he had much better plans than just being alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the time between episodes.

* * *

Eliot had been to Saratoga years before with Aimee and he had a fuzzy recollection of which bar was favored by the jockeys and trainers. It was owned by a former jockey and was all the way on the other side of town from where the mark lived. He thought he could risk showing up there without casting any doubt on his sham marriage to Sophie.

It was a small place, dimly lit with classic rock playing quietly in the background. Eliot walked in slowly, made his way to the bar, and took a spot that let him watch the entire floor. He ordered a beer and then had a casual look around.

He spotted Kayleigh nearly immediately, hanging out at the back of the bar, playing darts with a few other jockeys. Parker would probably call it a convention of little people, but even among the jockeys, Kayleigh was the shortest one.

She was wearing a black tank top, olive green cargo pants, and black hiking boots. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and she was laughing and elbowing one of her friends. It looked like she was goading the poor guy into do something. She had a bottle of water in her hand and Eliot noticed that she never put it down, not even when it was her turn at the dartboard.

He wasn't sure how to run into her naturally. He watched her interacting with the other jockeys and she definitely came across as just one of the guys. He didn't think she had anything going on with any of them. He was nearly finished with his beer when he saw her headed toward the bathrooms, which were down a narrow hallway.

He headed that way and ducked into the men's room, waiting near the door and listening for the sound of her coming out of the ladies' room. He couldn't quite believe that he was hiding out in a bathroom, stalking a girl, but he shook the thought out of his head when he heard a door open, followed by an argument in the hallway.

Eliot stepped out in the hall. A jockey he didn't recognize was angrily gesturing at Kay and complaining about something she had done during the ninth race. Eliot was about to step in when Kayleigh shoved the guy against the wall and pressed her forearm into his neck.

"I rode a clean race. Stumbling out of the starting gate in your general direction is bad luck, not interference," she said. The guy's face was turning purple, but Eliot couldn't decide if it was from lack of oxygen or some combination of anger and embarrassment.

"Do we have a problem here?" asked Eliot in his best authoritative voice.

Kayleigh dropped her arm and stepped back, her face momentarily registering recognition. "I don't have a problem. Carlos?"

"No, man, no problem here," the guy muttered before he elbowed her out of the way and stalked off.

She gave Eliot an appraising look, then leaned against the wall and folded her arms. "Are you following me?"

"Would it bother you if I was?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"If Alley put you up to it, it would bother me, big-time. If you're doing it for your own reasons, then no."

"_Alley_ definitely did not put me up to this."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. In fact, Hardison would probably prefer that I wasn't here at all. He doesn't like me getting...friendly....with his sister," said Eliot with a warm smile.

"Well, for the record, his sister likes friendly," she said, returning the smile.

"You want to tell me what all that was about?"

"No. Jackass just gets under my skin. C'mon. Let me buy you a drink - you probably just saved me from getting thrown out of here."

She led him out of the hallway, waving and mouthing something to her friends. They made a quick stop at the bar to pick up a couple of beers and then she steered Eliot back to a booth in a quiet corner.

"You had a good day today," said Eliot. "That last race was perfect."

She squeezed the lime into her Corona Light. "Thanks. I'm happy about that one but I really should've done better in the second race. The trainer for that horse has one he's going to put in the Travers this year, so impressing him would've been nice."

"This your first season at Saratoga?"

"No, third. But I still haven't ridden in the Travers."

Eliot took a pull from his beer. "You know Willie Martin?"

"Of course I do. Willie's one of the few gentlemen in this business," she said, smiling.

"That's for sure."

"How do you know him?"

"Grew up down there. Practically lived at his barn," said Eliot. He wanted to ask how Aimee was, but then again, he didn't want to ask. He wanted the past to the be the past and asking was the equivalent of poking an old scab.

"Beautiful place. And he runs it well too. I was down there two weeks ago. He's got a two-year old that he wants me to ride in the Hopeful and another horse that he thinks might be able for the Whitney."

"The Whitney....that wouldn't be Baltimore, would it?"

"It would," she said, laughing at the smallness of the horse-racing world. "He's more of a frontrunner than I usually ride, but that horse just has a ton of heart and personality. I'm hoping Willie takes a chance on me."

"You're all about the closers, aren't you?"

"I am. I don't like being out in front, worrying about getting picked off. I'd rather lay back, look for the gaps, move when the time is right."

"Takes a lot of patience to ride like that."

She shrugged. "I don't know about that."

"You're saying you're not patient?"

"You can ask Alec. Patience is not one of my virtues."

"Well," said Eliot with a grin. "I'm sure you have others."

She returned the grin and leaned forward slightly. "I do. Stick around, you might find out what they are."

"I plan on it."

She took a sip of her beer. "So, tell me about Parker."

"Parker?" asked Eliot, surprised by this sudden change of subject.

"Yes, the famous and mysterious Parker."

"Twenty pounds of a crazy in a five pound bag."

"Yeah, I've heard that. But she must have some good qualities."

"She does. She's just kind of messed up. Why do you want to know, anyway?"

Kayleigh shook her head, a blush rising in her pale cheeks. "No reason."

"Now, I don't believe that for a second."

She looked down as she fidgeted and turned her beer bottle in circles, the condensation leaving rings on the table. Eliot glanced down and noticed that she had intricate tattoos circling both wrists. It looked like some kind of pattern but the light was too dim for him to see it.

"Kayleigh, it's hardly a secret. Hardison's crazy about her. You're his sister, so you're curious about the girl."

"He told you?"

Eliot laughed. "I have eyes, you know. Besides, he'd never admit anything like that to me."

"No? I have ways of making him talk."

"Yeah...I'm not sure I want to know."

"Don't worry, it mostly involves pouting and guilt."

"Yeah, I definitely don't want to know. You two are close though, huh?"

"We are. He's always looked out for me. I don't keep up much with the other kids from Nana's house, but there's no way I'd ever lose Alec. He wouldn't let me go."

Eliot asked a question about growing up with Alec, which led to a long conversation that meandered through several different topics. They kept on talking long after their beer bottles sat empty in front of them. Eliot had completely lost track of time when the bartender called out for last orders.

"Damn, I'm going to turn into a pumpkin if I don't get home soon," said Kayleigh with an apologetic smile. "Getting up at 4 am for morning workouts is an occupational hazard."

"Can I give you a ride home?"

"It's not very far, just a couple of blocks."

Eliot stood up. "I'll walk with you then, get a little air before I get in the car."

They walked out into the warm summer night. The white sliver of a moon was visible above the line of houses and trees. The street was so empty and quiet, it almost seemed wrong to talk. Their conversation in the bar had been easy and comfortable, but Eliot was surprised to find that their silence was just as companionable and relaxed.

Kayleigh stopped in front of a low-slung apartment building. "Well, this is me... It was good running into you. I had a nice time."

"I did too," replied Eliot, holding out his hand. She slipped her small hand into his and gave him a firm handshake. He held her hand for a few extra seconds, enjoying the feel of her soft, warm skin.

"I'm there pretty much every night, if you're ever in the neighborhood again."

"I'll keep that in mind, although I am going to be working."

"Oh right," she said quickly, misinterpreting his words as him letting her down gently. "Well, that's fine. Whenever."

He reached out and put his hand on her arm, not at all surprised by the ropy muscle he felt there. "Kayleigh, I plan on seeing you again. Soon, if I can help it."

"Good... good night, Eliot." She took a few steps backwards, maintaining eye contact with him, a small smile on her lips. Then she opened the door and disappeared into the building. Eliot put his hands in his pockets and whistled to himself on his walk back to the car. This might end up being an okay job after all, as long as his 'wife' would let him have a girlfriend. Although he knew Sophie wasn't going to be the problem. Hell, Hardison wasn't even going to be the problem.

Nate was going to be the problem. Eliot didn't know why, but he'd gotten the distinct sense that Nate had clocked his interest in the jockey and was opposed to the idea. And Eliot suspected that the opposition was more than just general concern over potential distraction or issues with Hardison. It just irked him that he couldn't figure out why, in particular, Nate didn't want him hanging out with Kay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the time between episodes.

* * *

The first week of the con went smoothly enough for Nate to start making the preparations for the next phase. Eliot had several friendly interactions with the mark at the track, including having a few beers with him at the bar. Sophie had joined a gardening group and was getting closer to the wife.

Eliot would've paid money to see Sophie gardening. He couldn't imagine her ever putting her hands in the dirt, even if she had gloves on. But Sophie was sticking it out, bonding with the wife while weeding the community vegetable garden.

Eliot met Kayleigh at the bar three more times, each evening more enjoyable than the one before. On the fourth visit, she was already sitting in what had become their booth, a Rolling Rock waiting for him. He smiled as he slid into the bench across from her, thanking her for the beer.

"So, you're off on Tuesday?" he asked.

"Well, track's dark. I still have morning workouts, but from about 10 o'clock on, the day is mine."

"I sort of have Tuesday off too and was thinking we could do something."

"Were you?" she asked.

"I was."

"What sort of something?"

"Hadn't quite gotten that far with the plan yet. Hope you don't mind me saying so, but you don't strike me as a dinner and a movie kind of girl," said Eliot, trying to say that he understood the pressure of the weight requirements in her sport.

"That's because I'm not, especially not when I'm racing."

"Yeah, I get that. I wrestled in high school and boxed in the army."

She was silent for a moment. "I know a nice barn, it's a bit of a drive, about an hour away, but I know somebody there who'll let us borrow a couple of horses. The trails are beautiful."

Eliot smiled. "I'd really like that. It's been way too long."

"Good. That's settled then. I can drive. You want to meet me at the track at 10 on Tuesday?"

"Definitely."

----------------

The ride to the barn had been nice, but noisy without much of a chance to talk. Kayleigh drove a 1970 Ford pickup, which didn't have air-conditioning. The exterior of the truck was beat up and the paint job was washed out, but the truck practically purred when it started.

The place was on the edge of a forest park in the Adirondack Mountains. The scenery was beautiful and put Eliot in mind of a more rugged version of Kentucky.

At the barn, Kayleigh took him into the office to introduce him to the manager, a perky young blonde who smiled and giggled a lot. The two women caught up for a few minutes and then discussed which horses they'd be taking.

A few minutes later, Kayleigh had pulled the horses out of their stalls and tied them up in the aisle of the barn. She handed Eliot a grooming kit. He liked that she knew he was comfortable and competent, but didn't make a big deal of it. While they groomed the horses, she told him about his horse, Blackjack, a retired racehorse. Her horse, Tucker, was a pony trained for show-jumping.

When they were done grooming, Kayleigh led him back to the tack room. "So, English or Western?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you're going with."

"You sure?" she asked as she moved through the small room, checking the tags on the saddles.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"You can post? Because if you want to sit the trot, I should maybe find you a different horse. His gate is a little.... bubbly."

Eliot let out a noise that was half amusement, half annoyance. "I can post."

"Huh. You really are a man of many talents," she said as she turned around. Finding him in her personal space, she looked up at him.

"Darlin', you have no idea." His voice had dropped in both pitch and volume.

She blushed a little, but then edged around him, picked up a saddle and handed it to him. "Guess I should plan to stick around and find out, huh?"

"Definitely, I'll make it worth your time," he said, smiling as she started to look flustered. She picked up another saddle then grabbed the horses' bridles and they went out to tack up.

The trail ride was everything Eliot had remembered about riding and more. He'd missed the feeling of flying during the galloping. He'd missed working with the horse. He'd missed how it let you get closer to nature in a way that hiking just never would.

He was reminded of that when they were walking along the edge of a lake, the horse's hooves gently splashing in shallow water. They came around a curve in the lake and saw two small deer drinking. The deer looked up, startled at first, then somewhat confused. The horses appeared less of a threat than a person, so they were able to get close enough to see the downy white spots in their brown coats.

When they returned to the barn, they groomed the horses again, then put them out in a pasture. Eliot walked close to her, practically feeling sparks each time he brushed her hand or bumped into her shoulder.

They returned the saddles to the tack room and cleaned off the bridles, flirting the whole time, the tension between them slowly increasing. Kayleigh turned to go, but found Eliot standing in front of her.

"You know, we might as well just get it out of the way. It's going to have to happen some time," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"I think you know." He brushed her hair off her face and then slid his hand to her shoulder, which was narrow enough that he was able to caress her neck with his thumb.

"No," she said with a smile that told him everything he needed to know. "I really have no idea."

"In that case, I better tell you," he leaned down, pleased to see that she was stretching up to meet him half-way, her hands running up his chest to his shoulders.

He let the first contact be soft and light, grinning when she pulled him closer. She tasted like cherries and smelled like an intoxicating mix of grass and jasmine. He nearly lost it for a minute but then caught himself, pulling back with a grin, loving the way she looked at his mouth for several long seconds before looking up at him.

He leaned down again, this time to whisper in her ear. "Told you. First one's just practice, everything gets better after that."

* * *

They'd been in the truck for about twenty minutes and were passing through a small town when she slowed down and looked over at him. "Want to stop for lunch?"

He looked up, surprised. "Yeah, I could go for lunch, but-"

"Normal people eat lunch. Don't feel like you have to keep to my ridiculous eating habits."

"Okay, thanks."

She parked the car in front of a diner and they took one of the booths that lined the side window, looking out over a stream.

They'd just placed their order when the door of the diner swung open. Eliot looked up and cursed under his breath. What the hell were Nate and Sophie during here? No chance it was random. No chance of that at all.

Kayleigh looked confused, then glanced over her shoulder. "Isn't that-"

"Yep."

"What a surprise to see you here. Sophie and I were just enjoying an afternoon drive and thought we'd stop for lunch. Okay if we join you?" said Nate, sitting down next to Kay before they even had a chance to respond.

Eliot looked an apology at Kayeigh and then shot a dagger of a look at the intruders. Sophie gingerly sat down next to him, acting like he was a dog that might snap at any minute.

Nate did most of the talking, babbling on about the beauty of upstate New York and the benefits of the fine country air. It was shaping up to be an awkward lunch.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Eliot, not even waiting for a response. He was up and out of the booth almost quicker than Sophie could get out of his way.

Eliot stalked outside, Nate a few seconds behind him. "What the hell is going on?"

"We need Kayleigh to do something for us."

"Then why didn't you just call her and ask her? Why do you have to track us down and crash in like this?"

"It's easier to get forgiveness than permission?" said Nate tentatively.

"How did you even....nevermind. I'm gonna _kill_ Hardison," Eliot growled.

"Don't be too hard on him. He didn't know you were with her. It was bit of a surprise to me, in fact."

Eliot pressed his palms into his eyes, wishing he could will Nate away. But no, the guy was still standing there, along with all the frustration he'd caused. "OK. Fine. Get in there, ask her and then get out. And if she says no, that's it."

Nate had that annoying smile, the one that said he'd just played a shot perfectly. Eliot pushed past him and back into the diner, this time sitting next to Kayleigh, taking the chance to whisper an apology in her ear. He felt her hand on his knee and was relieved.

"Kay, how much do you know about our work?" asked Nate.

She looked uncomfortable. "Um, you know, I know in general that you help people and that some of that help might be....of a dubious legal nature, but I don't know the specifics. I do know that Alec likes working with you."

"Well, good. Then I'm hoping you'll understand what I'm going to ask you. We're running a con right now on a guy who's been ripping off the parents of sick children. Eliot and Sophie are pretending to be married, and are getting close to the guy and his wife. On Thursday night, they're going to have a dinner party and we need you to be there as a guest."

"That's it? And I just have to be me? I don't have to pretend to be anything?" She sounded relieved.

"Yeah, that's right. You just need to pretend like you're friends with them. But, Kay, not too good of friends," Nate said meaningfully, looking from the her to Eliot.

"Sure, no problem. I can do that."

"Good. You've asked, now you can leave," said Eliot in a tone that clearly announced that he would brook no arguments.

"Of course," said Nate as he stood up. "I'll call you with the details." He made a vague gesture and then left with Sophie in tow.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"No, it's fine."

Eliot started to get up to sit on the other side of the booth, but Kayleigh caught his arm. "Stay here. I kind of like it."

He smiled and settled back down. But it was difficult to keep his mind on her and their conversation. Something was up with Nate, he just couldn't put his finger on it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the time between episodes.

* * *

Eliot spent the entire afternoon preparing for the dinner party. Given the muggy summer weather, he'd opted for a menu that was light and required very little time in the oven or on the stove. Green salad, a pasta salad, and wraps made with grilled chicken. He lost count of the number of vegetables he chopped, the repetitive motion lulling him into a nearly trance-like state.

Sophie, as his wife Vanessa, would end up taking credit for the dinner, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get through the night and get that much closer to finishing the damn job. The dinner had a dual purpose: to get the mark and his wife out of their house so Parker could get in and snoop around, and to introduce the mark to Nate's character Artie, a loan shark and bookie from New York City.

Nate's plan was to reel the guy in slowly, a social evening followed by a friendly poker game. They were going to let the guy win a little and lay the groundwork for the final con, although Nate was still a bit fuzzy which direction they were going to go in. They had a few options and more work was needed before they could choose one.

Parker insisted that she could handle the house by herself and they really needed a fourth for the poker game, so Hardison was going to be there as one of his Middle Eastern sheik-types, a man interested in getting involved in the horse business.

Kay would be there with Nate, although Eliot was as yet unclear how 'with' Nate she was supposed to be. He was also unclear on why she was there at all, but Nate insisted it was a vital piece of the puzzle, even though he was maddening vague on why.

Eliot finished up with his preparations shortly before the guests were going to arrive. Sophie/Vanessa was already flitting about the place, getting into character. Eliot had a quick shower and then dressed in what he thought of as his douche-bag banker clothes: linen trousers, a blue cotton button-down shirt, and brown loafers. He pulled his hair in a ponytail and put on his wire-rimmed glasses to become Brad for the evening.

The mark and his wife, Henry and Ava, arrived first. Since it was a fine evening, Sophie got them drinks and set them up on the front porch, which had comfortable wicker furniture and a great view of the woods. Sophie and Ava immediately fell into a conversation about gardening, leaving the men to talk about baseball and horse-racing.

Eliot was thinking that he was about to die of boredom when he heard a car traveling quickly up the gravel driveway. It was Nate, in a sharp-looking Cadillac sports car. He parked and then got out, hustling around the side to open the door for Kayleigh. She stepped out of the car carefully and slipped her hand onto Nate's offered arm.

"Good to see you, Artie," said Eliot, reminding himself that he was Brad and this was his loan shark, so staring at the girlfriend of the loan shark was out of the question. But it was difficult because she looked good with her red hair blow-dried out so it fell to her shoulders in smooth waves, further softened by the strawberry blonde highlights that the summer sun had burned in. She was wearing a baby blue sundress whose spaghetti straps showed off the graceful muscles of her back and shoulders.

Eliot made the introductions all around. Henry was impressed to meet Kay and gushed about a few of her recent races. She smiled and easily accepted his praise, like she heard this sort of thing all the time. Which, Eliot thought, she probably did. Sophie gave him a little kick and cleared her throat.

"Brad, do you want to get drinks for our new guests?"

"Of course, sure, what'll it be?"

"Oh, just give me some more of whatever it was you gave me last time," said Nate as he sat down in a wide-armed wicker chair next to Henry.

Eliot looked at Kay expectantly. "We have just about everything."

"White wine?"

"Sure, tell you what, why don't you come back with me and pick one out yourself?"

She smiled and followed him wordlessly into the house, through the living room and into the kitchen.

"You're beautiful, and this dress... bias-cut with an empire waist and a-line skirt-"

She interrupted him with a giggle. "Alley said you know the most random, bizarre things."

Eliot rolled his eyes at the mention of Hardison and looked at her intently. "It's perfect, like it was made for you."

"That's because it was. The only place I can buy clothes off the rack is Gap Kids.".

He grabbed a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice and poured some into a wine glass for Nate. Kayleigh was looking through the bottles in the wine rack on the counter. Eliot walked over and stood close to her, slipping his arm around her waist.

"Your wife is going to kill you if she comes in," she said as she handed him a bottle of wine and stepped away.

"That's a chance I'm willing to take," he said with a smile. "Although it's probably your boyfriend that we need to worry about."

He opened the bottle and poured a glass, which he handed to her. She thanked him and set it on the counter.

"So, does this count as a date if you're here with your wife and I'm your boss's girlfriend?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds completely messed up," he said, leaning a hip against the counter.

"I need to ask you something," she said, whispering so that he had to lean his head down. She grabbed his face and gave him one hell of a kiss, which she broke off just as unexpectedly as she'd sprung it on him.

She reached up and wiped her lipstick off his lips with her thumb. Then she gave him a devious grin, picked up her wine glass and went back out to the porch, leaving him to trail behind, frustrating and annoyed that he had to go through with this whole sham when he'd rather be out with her.

When they returned to the porch, Hardison was just arriving. After the final round of introductions were made, Sophie hustled everyone through the house to the back porch, which was screened in and had a rustic pine dining table with enough seats to accommodate their group. The table was already set, and Eliot dutifully helped Sophie bring in dinner.

Dinner ended up being exactly what Eliot expected: excruciating and endless. Nate did an awesome job playing an overbearing asshole. Near the end of dinner, they started to talk about horse-racing. Nate began pressuring Kay to reveal some secrets.

"Artie, please. It's not even like that. I don't know anything anyway," she said with an uneasy smile.

Henry picked up on the implications of the conversation and jumped in eagerly. "Come on, we're not asking for the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken, we just want a little track gossip."

Kayleigh shook her head. "I'm telling you, I don't know anything. Anyway, don't y'all say that the jockey's only 10% of a race?"

"Well, best jockey in the world isn't going to get a crappy horse to win, but even a competent, well-prepared rider can improve a good horse's chances," said Eliot.

"It all seems like a bunch of luck to me," said Sophie, getting up to clear the dishes. "Not much better than roulette, when it comes right down to it."

"Thanks for dinner, darling," said Eliot. "You girls going to be all right if we slip away for some cigars and poker?"

"Oh sure, don't worry about us. We'll be great," said Ava, her words starting to slur a little from all the wine she'd consumed over the course of the evening.

Eliot led the way to the study on the second floor, a wood-paneled room with a couple of deer heads mounted on the walls. It also had a leather couch set, a large oak desk, and a poker table.

Nate laid out the rules for the poker game, Texas Hold-em, $2,000 buy-in, and soon the four of them were playing. Eliot lost track of time as one hand bled into the next. He was working hard to make mistakes that wouldn't be obvious so that he'd lose and have to borrow money from Nate. That was the plan.

"So, how long you been with the jockey?" asked Henry during a break in the action.

"Couple of months," replied Nate with a shrug. "Have to keep her around for at least the Saratoga Season, you know? Then, we'll see. She has a couple of mounts lined up that might put her in the Breeder's Cup, so that would be worth sticking around for, know what I mean?"

Henry laughed and Hardison coughed, a sharp sound deep in his throat. Eliot shot him a look to remind him that they needed to keep playing along, regardless of whatever bullshit Nate talked about Kayleigh.

"She really give you anything you can use to your advantage? She seemed pretty tight-lipped at dinner," said Henry.

"Oh, that's just her public front. She tells me plenty. Gets me workout times for her horses, lets me know who's carrying extra weight, who might be worth watching."

Henry looked distinctly unimpressed. "You can pick up a lot of that from _The_ _Racing Times_."

"You can," said Nate as he leaned across the table and dropped his voice a little. "But will _The Racing Times_ hold back a favorite for you when you need it?"

"You saying she's thrown races for you?" asked Henry, much more impressed.

Eliot stole a look at Hardison, whose eyes were about to burn holes through Nate's forehead.

"She's never thrown any races. He's just talking big," said Eliot dismissively, flipping a card at Nate's forehead.

"I'm not saying she has or she hasn't, but I'm saying there's a reason I keep her around, that's all." Nate leaned back in his chair with a smug, self-satisfied smile on his face.

"Yeah? I bet she's a handful in bed too. Everything they say about redheads true?"

"Everything and then some," said Nate, gathering up the cards to deal.

"No way. You lucky bastard."

"You have no idea," replied Nate, flicking cards around the table. He started recounting a story about an encounter they'd had at the barn. Eliot wondered who would break character first, him or Hardison. He was going to have a talk with Nate when this was all over.

Eliot looked up and saw Kayleigh standing in the open doorway, anger and hurt practically radiating off her. Nate caught Eliot's gaze and followed it back to the doorway, then pointedly redirected his attention to distracting Henry with an increasingly salacious story.

Kay shook her head sadly and disappeared down the hallway. Eliot started to push his chair back to get up, but Nate gave him a kick under the table and a pointed half-shake of his head.

Eliot reluctantly sat back and tried to concentrate on the game. He found that he didn't have to work to lose, it was coming quite naturally to him. Just as he was about to ask Nate for a loan, a soft knock at the open door interrupted their game.

"Artie, I have an early morning and I can see this is going to be a late night, so I called a cab," she said.

"I can run you home," volunteered Eliot.

"That's sweet of you, but it's already here, so I'm just going to go. Thank you for the evening," she said, her words artificially bright.

"Well, come here, let me give you some cab fare," said Nate, picking up a handful of bills from the pile in front of him.

She looked like she was about to argue, but instead took a deep breath and walked into the room, studiously avoiding eye contact with Eliot. He couldn't help but notice that she gave Hardison a gentle look and a forced smile.

Nate reached out and wrapped his arm around her proprietarily before handing her the cash. Eliot could see that her eyes were a little puffy and her face was entirely clean of makeup.

"OK, baby, see you later," said Nate. Kayleigh leaned down and kissed him quickly on the mouth, then ruffled his hair before walking away.

The poker game finished up at 2 am when Ava finally demanded that they go home. Henry left reluctantly, since he was on quite the winning streak at that point. Eliot saw them out and felt a mixture of relief and anger when he shut the door behind him. He returned upstairs, where Hardison was arguing with Nate.

"I can't believe you said that shit about my sister."

"Easy, Hardison, it was part of the con and she knows that. Eliot, I thought today went great - we're right on track, don't you think?"

"Sure, yeah, but what did we have to do to get there?"

"What?"

"Nate, you trashed an innocent girl's real reputation," said Eliot, struggling to hold his temper in check.

"No I didn't. Besides, who's Henry going to tell? Who's going to believe him? Especially when we leave here and he's ruined."

"You better hope it goes down that easy," said Hardison, standing up to leave.

Sophie came into the room to find out what all the commotion was and Eliot took the opportunity to go to sleep. He could get his 90 minutes of sleep in and then drive over to the racetrack before morning workouts. He needed to catch Kayleigh to apologize and explain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the time between episodes.

* * *

Eliot was at the track parking lot at 4 am, watching the jockeys and trainers arrive for morning workouts. When he saw Kayleigh's pickup truck, he got out of his car and ambled over to the entrance, positioning himself where she'd have to walk past him.

"Kay, can I talk to you a minute?" he asked as she approached.

She hoisted her duffel bag higher on her shoulder and shook her head. "Nothing to say."

"Please?" He stepped in front of her, but she skirted around him and went through the entrance without looking back. He considered following her in, but didn't want any hassles with security.

He got back in his car and drove across the parking lot. He parked so that his passenger side was next to her truck's driver side. He got out of his car and stretched, then walked around to the other side. He glanced in the back of her pickup, but didn't see anything of interest.

Eliot waited in the passenger seat of his car for three hours. He was starting to see flaws in his plan. He'd hoped that she'd need to head home or go somewhere, but he realized that she just as easily could stay in the clubhouse until it was time for the racing to start.

His window was rolled down and he was intently watching his side mirror when he spotted her. She tossed her bag in the back of her truck and was about to unlock the door when he spoke.

"You know I'm going to keep trying until you talk to me, so why don't you just talk to me?" he asked.

She startled, but then got in her truck and drove away. Eliot knocked his head off the back of his seat. He knew Nate wanted him at the track today, since they knew for certain Henry was going to be there. This meant he really couldn't chase Kay right now - he had to go back to the cabin and put on his douchebag banker clothes and get ready to be Brad for the afternoon.

* * *

The only spot of relief in an otherwise unrelentingly horrible afternoon was that Henry had to leave after the seventh race. He'd already lost all of the money he had on him, and he flatly turned down Nate's offers to loan him some.

Eliot flipped through his program, checking to see if Kayleigh was riding in the rest of the day's races. She had ridden in three so far and hadn't done very well in any of them. Eliot could see that her head and heart just weren't in it today and that made him feel guilty.

"All I'm saying is I don't see how you're going to bankrupt him if he won't even take a $200 loan off you," grumbled Eliot.

"Don't worry about it. We have him right where we want him. Trust me."

Eliot opened his mouth to argue but shook his head instead. It wasn't worth it. He got up and headed out to Kay's pickup truck. He dropped the tailgate and hauled himself up, his legs dangling down. He'd wait there as long as he had to.

Two hours later, the parking lot had mostly emptied out and Eliot was wondering if it were possible to die of boredom. Finally, he spotted her, coming out with several other jockeys. When she saw him, she leaned into the jockey next to her and said something to him. He nodded and they kept walking. She ended up getting in a car with that jockey and leaving.

"All right. I get the point. You're not talking to me today. But you're going to have to talk to me some time," said Eliot as he hopped down from his perch.

* * *

The next day, Eliot didn't try to approach her in the parking lot, and he spent his time at the track in places where she'd never see him, like the bar. He left while the races were still going and bided his time working out at the hotel gym. He went home to shower and change, then headed out to the bar Kayleigh and her friends frequented.

It wasn't very busy and he spotted her immediately, sitting at a table near the back with the guy who'd driven her away the day before. She was slouched in her seat, with her feet up on the seat across from her.

"Excuse me, Kay, can I talk to you? Please?" he asked as he stepped up to their table. Her friend stood up and got right up in Eliot's space, which nearly made him laugh. The guy wasn't even as tall as his shoulder.

"She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Seriously, little man? You don't want to mess with me."

"And she doesn't want to talk to you."

Eliot had to give him credit. He wasn't backing down, even though he wouldn't be able to scare even a fifth-grader.

"Eliot, if you had even half a clue about how angry I am, you would shut up and walk away."

He raised his hands in a placating gesture and sat down at the next table, so that he was directly behind her.

"That's fine. I'll just sit here until you're ready to talk to me."

Kayleigh rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Then she stood up. "Okay, fine, but not here."

Eliot stood up. "Fine - wherever you want."

"Are you going to be okay?" asked the other jockey.

"I'll be fine. We're just going across the street."

"You sure?"

"Jimmy, I'm sure. If I'm not back in an hour, come get me, okay?" She tapped her fists on his shoulders and then stepped past him. Eliot followed her out of the bar and across the street to a diner.

She picked a booth in the window and glared at Eliot as he sat down across from her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Do you even know what you're apologizing for?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry for those things that Nate said about you."

"Which things?" she asked, her eyes burning straight through him.

He shifted uncomfortable. "I don't want to repeat 'em."

"Which things?" she repeated, biting off each word.

"You know...how he was talking shit about you as his girlfriend, the things you got up to."

She let out a bitter laugh. "You think _that's_ what I'm angry about?"

"Well yeah," he said, like it was obvious.

"I could give a shit about his made-up locker room talk. Big deal. D'you think that's the first time a guy who's never touched me has talked about me like that? Please. That's what guys do."

Eliot's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Then...I don't understand."

"I'm mad because Nate implied that I'm the tame jockey in his pocket who feeds him inside information and would willingly throw races for him."

"Oh. that."

"Yeah _that. _And that, that's my life. It's what I am, what I do. Do you have any idea what would happen if word got out that I was involved with a guy like that? If anyone even thinks for half a second that I'd throw a race, my career would be over. Ruined. No one would want to work with me."

Eliot looked down at the table. He hadn't thought it was possible to feel worse than he had Thursday night, but now it seemed that he was wrong. "You're right and I'm sorry. I didn't know it was going to go down like that"

"You didn't?"

"No I didn't."

"Well, see, here's the thing. One: I have a hard time believing that. Two: If Nate wanted to use a jockey in his little charade, he just should've had the decency to ask me himself instead of spending his little retrieval specialist to fetch him one."

"What? Is that what you think?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I think. And I don't care that Alley says I'm being irrational and that I need to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"I never, and I mean _never_ thought I would ever say this, but Hardison is right."

"No. I don't want to hear it. You didn't have to pretend to like me to get me to help you. Maybe if you both had just given me the truth and told me what you needed, I would've helped anyway."

"Kayleigh, wait, it's not like that. It's not like that at all."

But it was too late. She was already gone, leaving Eliot to rub his forehead and wish for Nate's slow and painful death.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the time between episodes.

* * *

Nate had called them all into the office for a final round of planning. Eliot was already wound up, like a coiled rattlesnake, just waiting to snap. He drummed his fingers on the table and refused to make eye contact with anyone.

It didn't take Nate long to notice and comment. "Is there a problem?"

"No," growled Eliot, but his face suggested that yes, there was a problem and he happened to be looking right at it. Sophie, Hardison, and Parker exchanged surprised and uneasy looks.

"Anyway, as I was saying, some new information has come to light," said Nate. "Parker's found applications for a second mortgage along with fraudulent credit card applications. And Sophie's made some good progress with the wife, who is actually going to be leaving her husband soon."

"Tomorrow, in fact," confirmed Sophie. "She's leaving town entirely. Has some money saved up and is just going to disappear. Turns out their marriage was in much worse shape than we'd even guessed."

"So that's good, right, since she's had nothing to do with it. Now we can just ruin him and get out of here," said Hardison.

"All right, time for the end game," said Nate.

"Let me guess," grumbled Eliot. "We're going to steal a horse race?"

Nate shook his head. "No, no. We're going with poker. Much easier to control."

Eliot leaned back, slightly mollified but still quite angry. He let Nate's plan wash over him. He was listening; he knew exactly what his job was, but he just didn't really care. Like Hardison, he just wanted this over and done, and it irked him that it was looking like it would take at least two more weeks.

--------------

Later that afternoon, Eliot found himself hanging out at the hotel with Parker and Hardison, watching old monster movies to pass the time.

"She's just mad, you know?" said Hardison suddenly, looking at Eliot intently.

"Yeah, Hardison. I know. She wasn't exactly shy about it."

"No, man, I don't think you know. Kay....well, she's kind of a loner and she doesn't really let people get close. She took you to her favorite place for a trail ride, that was huge for her."

"Yeah, well, I liked her. I still like her."

Eliot looked at Alec hopefully. Hardison's face was impassive.

"C'mon, man, you going to make me beg?"

"No. But it would be nice to hear you at least ask."

"Fine. Will you please help me talk to Kayleigh?" Eliot managed to sound sincere and begrudging at the same time.

"You didn't have to say but a word," replied Hardison, looking over at Parker, who was grinning in a way that made Eliot nervous.

"Why's she looking at me like that?"

"Oh, don't worry about her. Look, me and Parker are going to the county fair tomorrow with Kay. You can meet us there. Say, 8 o'clock, near the ferris wheel, but stay out of sight."

Eliot raised an eyebrow and then just shook his head. He'd do it. He'd do whatever crazy ass thing Hardison told him to do.

----------------

The ferris wheel was at the edge of the fairgrounds, conveniently located near a line of trailers and shipping containers. Eliot picked his spot carefully, so he could watch for Hardison. He still didn't have the exact details of how this was going to play out, but god help him, he trusted his teammate. Although he wished that they were using the comms, so he'd have a better idea of what was going on.

About quarter past eight, Eliot spotted Harison, Parker, and Kayleigh approaching the ferris wheel. Parker was pulling Hardison's arm, gesturing wildly toward the ride, while he frantically shook his head, real discomfort and fear on his face. From the way Kayleigh shook her head and laughed, Eliot could see that Hardison's fear of heights was quite real.

As they approached the line, Parker gave up and turned to Kay, who nodded and stepped into line with her. Hardison's eyes found Eliot in the shadows and he gave a small nod in the direction of the girls. Eliot got into line behind them, smiling as Parker worked overtime to keep Kay from turning around. Hardison came up on Kay's other side, further distracting her.

The line was blessedly short and soon the two girls were at the front. When the operator gestured to them to step up into the seat, Parker let Kay go first, and Hardison walked her right up to the seat, feverishly debating some ridiculous point with her. Parker seamlessly slipped away, allowing Eliot to slide into the seat next to Kay, whose attention was entirely focused on her brother.

The ride operator snapped the safety bar into place and then flipped the switch that sent the wheel moving slowly. Eliot was a little puzzled about why Parker was now talking to the ride operator, smiling broadly and leaning suggestively toward him. It almost looked like she was flirting, but he knew that she couldn't flirt to save her life. Last time she'd been forced to try, she'd stabbed a guy with a fork. He felt a small stab of disquiet as he realized that their plan was probably not over yet.

But he had no time to dwell on that as a small gasp of surprise alerted him to the fact that Kayleigh was now aware of the bait and switch they'd just pulled.

"You're not Parker," she said, her voice giving no clue whether she thought this was a positive or negative attribute.

"No, I'm not, thank god for that, right?" he replied, managing a tight-lipped grin.

Before she could say another word, her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and flipped it open with bothering to look at the display.

Eliot could hear Hardison's tinny voice. With a little straining, he could make out the words, something about how she should just relax and give the poor guy a chance. Eliot didn't know how he felt about being referred to as a "poor guy" but he could see her resistance crumbling. She muttered a goodbye and snapped the phone shut.

"Alley says I should give you a chance."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Okay, go, this is your big chance," she said, her fingers tapping impatiently on the safety bar.

Eliot turned to face her and stretched his arm out along the back of the seat. "Kayleigh, I like you. And I'm sorry that you think it was part of the con, but it wasn't. It was... is... for real."

"I know," she said. The ferris wheel had stopped and they were at the top, looking out across the fairgrounds to the mountains in the distance. The sun was edging down and the sky was a purplish blue that made Eliot hopeful.

"You know?"

"Well, Alley spent a lot of time trying to convince me, but what finally sealed the deal was yesterday, Nate came to talk to me at the track. He apologized for what happened and then staged a big break up scene for Henry's benefit."

"Seriously?" asked Eliot, surprised.

"Seriously. It was awesome. I got to slap him and everything," she said with a grin, her eyes sparkling.

"I bet that felt good."

"You have no idea."

He smiled. "I got maybe a tiny idea."

Kayleigh smiled back. "Is it just me, or have we been stopped up here for a while?"

"It's not just you," said Eliot as he looked down. Parker and Hardison were grinning like loons while the ride operator was standing over the control panel, shaking his head.

"Did he just hack the ferris wheel?"

"'Fraid so...and darlin', I swear I had no idea that was the plan."

She laughed, a light happy sound that made Eliot smile. When she met his eyes, her face turned more serious. "I guess I owe you an apology."

"You don't owe me nothing....but now that we've got this straightened out, I would like to go out with you again."

"I'd like that, but I'm going to busy. The Whitney and the Hopeful are coming up, and I'm still hoping that someone will want me to ride the Travers for them."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine. I understand," said Eliot, looking away as he tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He felt a light, soft hand on his cheek, forcing him to look back at her.

"I'm not saying I don't want to spend time with you. I'm just saying it might not be very exciting. I honestly don't know if I'm even going to have time for beers at the bar. Unless you want to help me do opposition research - I've got about three months of race tapes to watch."

"I'd love to."

"Really?"

"Really," he said, closing the distance between them to kiss her. She leaned into him and he slid his arm off the seat and wrapped it around her, pulling her close. He was dimly aware of the ferris wheel starting to move, but he didn't care.


End file.
